I've played it, and while what I saw in the demo was your usual shooter linear gameplay but daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang it's awesome.
gonna try and buy this tomorrow.

Discuss or drool, your choice.

stingerhs

08-22-2007, 02:03 AM

i already have the game via Steam. excellent stuff. in fact, if i didn't have class in the morning, i'd still be playing it right now.

just a note to those that get the game via Steam: you'll need to update DirectX to play Bioshock. the DirectX update is included with the boxed retail version, but it isn't with Steam. (download here) (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=cb7397f3-0949-487b-9247-8fee451bf952&DisplayLang=en)

otherwise, the game runs very smooth with all the in-game graphics options maxed running at 1600x1200. i haven't used FRAPS to give you an exact estimate, but the framerate is high enough that i haven't noticed a single hitch even during heavy combat sequences.

granted, my specs are: AthlonX2 4600, GeForce 8800GTS 640MB, 2GB DDR2-800 RAM, and an X-Fi sound card. even then, i've been told from several friends with older hardware that that game runs very smooth on their systems. so, unlike other games in the past like FEAR, STALKER, and Oblivion, this game is not a system killer despite the excellent graphics and gameplay.

anyways, i need some sleep before i go to class, but after that, i'll definitely be back in the middle of this game. :)

Boba Rhett

08-22-2007, 02:48 AM

Wait wait wait. Wait.

Wait.

I can run Oblivion and FEAR decently - so are you telling me I can run Bioshock reasonably well?

ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS? http://olivetinstitute.org/stuff/emot-psyduck.gif

*reaches for wallet, car keys, and driving gloves*

Pavlos

08-22-2007, 06:42 AM

*Grumbles*

Not out 'til the end of the week in Europe (as far as I know) but I'm definitely getting it.

Cygnus Q'ol

08-22-2007, 09:45 AM

I'm thinking of getting it to tide me over until November when MassEffect drops.

Hannibal

08-22-2007, 12:12 PM

I bought an elite yesterday(with my store credit from my broken regular 360) and downloaded the demo for this. I think this game will make me forget that my computer still isn't working and hold me over till Mass Effect and beyond.

Whyhowcomeisitso that I've only heard of this game as of 5 minutes ago?! You guys and gals are so supposed to poke me in the ribs every now and then to make sure I'm paying attention :lol:

This game looks frackin' sweet..

Ghost Down

08-22-2007, 01:24 PM

OMG! Got a link to that version of Doom?

Btw, think I can run it with these specs?

Intel Pentium 4 3,2 GHZ
Nvidia GeForce 7800GS 256MB
2 GIG of RAM

- Ghost Down

T7nowhere

08-22-2007, 01:51 PM

BioShock is great, the controls are very intuitive. Switching between plasmids(magic powers) and weapons is just clicking the right mousebutton and then wheel to scroll to the one you need. The graphics are just awesome, I'm very impressed by how great it runs even with everything maxed. I haven't noticed any video lag, the game runs perfectly. If you can play Oblivion with a decent fps then you won't have any problem with BioShock. Deffinately worth the money.

My system: Athlon 64 X2 3800+, 2x1GB PC4000, Radeon X1950pro 512MB

The Story is pretty cool but the intro leaves you with many questions as to how and why your in the situation ;) This is a game that should be played at night in the dark with a good pair of 5.1 headphones :)

stingerhs

08-22-2007, 02:27 PM

OMG! Got a link to that version of Doom?

Btw, think I can run it with these specs?

Intel Pentium 4 3,2 GHZ
Nvidia GeForce 7800GS 256MB
2 GIG of RAM

- Ghost Downyou should be fine. Bioshock is rather memory hungry, but it doesn't seem to pull too many resources from the CPU and Video card as far as i can tell. i need to do some tests to see exactly how much utilization is involved, but you're system should handle the game just fine.

Boba Rhett

08-22-2007, 06:50 PM

What about mine? :(

Athlon 3200+
7800 OC Superclock
1 Gig

JoeDoe 2.0

08-22-2007, 07:06 PM

The game kinda looks like DOOM 3 but with cool powers, I'm buying it Saturday. :p

stingerhs

08-22-2007, 10:15 PM

What about mine? :(

Athlon 3200+
7800 OC Superclock
1 Gigi think it would run rather well, actually. the game really isn't a huge resource hog now that i've done some tests. my memory utilization for the game is about 986,000K (or about 0.94GB), so that would be the biggest issue on your end. my CPU and video card utilization hardly ever maxes out, though. granted, i have high end stuff, but you're stuff isn't too terribly far behind.

just remember to update your graphics drivers and tone down a couple of settings and the screen resolution. with that in mind, go get the game and have some fun. :)

T7nowhere

08-22-2007, 11:07 PM

A word of warning the game does require activation, and the rumors are that it can only be installed on 2 computers. Though some people have said they were only able to install the game twice on the same PC.

Its a great game but this type of securom BS is pissing off alot of people and in the end its only going to hurt the company, because we all know that some clever hackers will figure out a way to disable the activation, so the only people that will be hassled by activation are the paying customers.

What will those paying customers do the next time. I know I'll think twice about buying another game with this activation garbage. It doesn't prevent pirating it never has and in the end they will lose customers.

But still it is a great game. :)

Boba Rhett

08-23-2007, 02:15 AM

Well, I just ordered a copy for a smooth 30 bucks out of pocket! :cool:

Activation is required? Crap! My gaming rig has no net connection right now. The blame for this falls squarely on your head, T7. :carms:

:xp:

Commander Obi-Wan

08-23-2007, 04:57 PM

I tried to downloaded the demo on my PC, but something screwed up and my computer needs to be updated anyway.

I'll just have to get Xbox Live soon and download the demo or rent this game. I've heard enough positive input and almost every gaming site has given Bioshock a superb rating. (IGN: 9.7)

Alright, looking at the way people are dying for this game, I believe it is safe to conclude that this is the new greatest game eva. Think I can run it with these specs?

Pentium III 1.0 GHz
512 MB RAM
nVidia GeForce FX 5200
Shiny CPU Case

It's a joke, I assure you.

Boba Rhett

08-25-2007, 03:32 AM

Yes. The shiny case pushed it over the top.

Any decals? Decals are a 10+ to Stamina.

Sabretooth

08-25-2007, 08:40 AM

Any decals? Decals are a 10+ to Stamina.

Does some dust on the top count? Or do I have to roll out my kindergarten crayons? :(

Pavlos

08-25-2007, 10:47 AM

Hmm... I've just gotten up to Fort Frolic and I can safely say that the designer for this area is insane - beyond insane, actually. I normally can't get into first person shooters but this seems to drag me in. Aside from the crazy splicers and the intuitive controls, I just like to look at some of the environments - especially those with large windows and lots of water :). Yes... water... hehe... lots and lots of water...

Commander Obi-Wan

08-25-2007, 01:05 PM

Alright, looking at the way people are dying for this game, I believe it is safe to conclude that this is the new greatest game eva.

I think it is safe. It's everywhere I see. I go to the mall and they have it advertised. I come home and turn on the TV and there is a commercial of it playing. Then, I come online and Bioshock is being talked about both here and the Swamp. And by the time I went to bed, I think I fell asleep thinking about. I think it's safe to conclude that this game is amazing. Either that or I am just paranoid. :nutz1:

:p

Pavlos

08-25-2007, 03:17 PM

I think it's safe to conclude that this game is amazing. Either that or I am just paranoid. :nutz1:

Or both :xp:

But yeah, it's a great game. Now, I must get back to playing it!

stoffe

08-25-2007, 03:18 PM

I think it is safe. It's everywhere I see. I go to the mall and they have it advertised. I come home and turn on the TV and there is a commercial of it playing. Then, I come online and Bioshock is being talked about both here and the Swamp. And by the time I went to bed, I think I fell asleep thinking about. I think it's safe to conclude that this game is amazing. Either that or I am just paranoid. :nutz1:

Unless it's very skillfully deployed hype. :)

I'll hopefully get my copy on Monday, so I haven't played it yet. Have anyone here who's played Bioshock also played System Shock 2 in the past? If so, how do the games compare? It's said that Bioshock would be a spiritual successor of SS 2, though successors sometimes have a tendency of not living up to the original. :)

Just too bad they decided to tarnish what seems like an excellent game with such intrusive copy protection DRM. That will pretty much ensure that, unlike it's spiritual successor, it will be impossible to install and re-play Bioshock 6-7 years from now. :disaprove

T7nowhere

08-25-2007, 08:45 PM

A little more to add about the negative slag attached to this game. SecureRom also installs a rootkit on your PC (Here is a link that will walk you through removing the rootkit ) http://www.gamingbob.com/2007/08/23/bioshock-installs-rootkit-including-demo/

SecurRom says the reason for the rootkit is to allow non admin users use all the services that securrom needs. Thats why rootkits are so evil, they open your PC up to security risks. Even if the reasons for the rootkit are meant to be "convenient" to the user its not something that should be installed on a users pc without them knowing.

Have anyone here who's played Bioshock also played System Shock 2 in the past? If so, how do the games compare?

The basic gameplay is very similar to SS2, However SS2 was alot more skill focused, Such as needing separate skills for each weapon type and psi amp. In Bioshock you can use any weapon you find right away providing you have ammo for the weapon. Also in Bioshock you don't need to have any skills in hacking in order to hack something, hacking is a mini game where you match up pipes to make a path from the entrance to the exit of the circuit(its easy in the begining, but does get much more difficult as obsticals are randomly placed in your way) You can install "gene tonics" that can help make hacking easyer as you progress in the game.

Gene tonics are passive upgrades that you can make to your body to make yourself stronger, faster, smarter.

SS2 had psi powers but in Bioshock you have Plasmids such as shock, freeze, incinerate fun things like that. you start the game with 2 plasmid slots but you can buy more up to 6 plasmid slots with a special substance called "ADAM". ADAM is basically point that you use to buy more plasmids and gene tonics. ADAM can only be gained from the npc's called the "little sisters", you can Help save the little sisters you can harvest the ADAM from
them either way you will get ADAM, the trick is that they are protected by npc's called the "BIG Daddies".

The character growth is pretty customizable to suit any play style and I think will allow for alot of replay value.

stingerhs

08-26-2007, 03:53 AM

Just too bad they decided to tarnish what seems like an excellent game with such intrusive copy protection DRM. That will pretty much ensure that, unlike it's spiritual successor, it will be impossible to install and re-play Bioshock 6-7 years from now. :disaproveall the more reason to use the Steam version of the game which lacks the SecureROM copy-protection. the Steam version doesn't need any keys or whatever, and if you want to move the game to another computer, all you need to do is to use Steam to burn a backup disc, install Steam on the other computer, log in to Steam, and decompress the backup files off the disc. no copy protection is required, and you have unlimited installations.

seriously, why people are so quick to dismiss Steam as a bad idea is something i don't understand.

Boba Rhett

08-26-2007, 04:02 AM

What the hell. :( Talk about pushing people over to consoles or even just to outright piracy. I don't even have the game yet and I'm tired of all of it's crap.

Commander Obi-Wan

08-26-2007, 02:12 PM

I have Steam. I barely use it, but I have it. I downloaded the Bioshock demo, but there was some error. So, I didn't download the demo. Though, I don't blame Steam. It was an error I was entirely responsible for.

I tried to rent it, but the store didn't have it shipped in yet. <_<

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-26-2007, 02:29 PM

all the more reason to use the Steam version of the game which lacks the SecureROM copy-protection. the Steam version doesn't need any keys or whatever, and if you want to move the game to another computer, all you need to do is to use Steam to burn a backup disc, install Steam on the other computer, log in to Steam, and decompress the backup files off the disc. no copy protection is required, and you have unlimited installations.

seriously, why people are so quick to dismiss Steam as a bad idea is something i don't understand.
http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php?area=game&AppId=7670&s=0,19,288,70,72,77,363,197&i=0,8220&cc=US&skin=4

Note: Contains SecuROM copy control software. Installations limited to five PCs per license

:/

swphreak

08-26-2007, 02:46 PM

<3 360 version

I played it through once and Harvested every Little Sister. I'm playing through again and saving them all.

I gotta say, the story is excellent and had some "Ohsnap" moments. If you have a 360, skip the PC version and its crap.

Commander Obi-Wan

08-27-2007, 03:00 PM

I get my hands on a copy of Bioshock. :D So, let's see the awesomeness of this game.

A little more to add about the negative slag attached to this game. SecureRom also installs a rootkit on your PC (Here is a link that will walk you through removing the rootkit ) http://www.gamingbob.com/2007/08/23/bioshock-installs-rootkit-including-demo/

That's bad. Though either they don't include all that in the release version, or they're just better at hiding it there. I just installed the full game and didn't end up with any service as described on that page (as far as I can find). Still, activation and limited installs are a bad thing. :disaprove

The basic gameplay is very similar to SS2, However SS2 was alot more skill focused, Such as needing separate skills for each weapon type and psi amp. In Bioshock you can use any weapon you find right away providing you have ammo for the weapon.

That does sound somewhat familiar, though in this case that's not a bad thing. System Shock 2 is fun to play. Hopefully you can save whenever you want in Bioshock, those minigame hacking puzzles can get a bit annoying otherwise I'd imagine.

Does Bioshock have infinitely respawning enemies if you backtrack to areas you've already been to before as well, like SS2 had?

Gin and tonics are passive upgrades that you can make to your body to make yourself stronger, faster, smarter.

I suppose you can't be a jack of all trades in the game, then? You have to choose a few things to specialize in, if you've got a limited number of such upgrades.

ADAM can only be gained from the npc's called the "little sisters", you can Help save the little sisters you can harvest the ADAM from
them either way you will get ADAM, the trick is that they are protected by npc's called the "BIG Daddies".

Seems like huge hulking brutes in armor is pretty much standard issue in shooter games nowadays (Farcry Fatboys, Halo Hunters etc). Hopefully they aren't that cliché in Bioshock. :)

The character growth is pretty customizable to suit any play style and I think will allow for alot of replay value.

Time to find out. :emodanc: Hopefully there aren't too many game-stopping bugs, I didn't manage to find any patch released yet (perhaps unsurprising since the game has only been released a few days. :))

stingerhs

08-27-2007, 07:18 PM

That's bad. Though either they don't include all that in the release version, or they're just better at hiding it there. I just installed the full game and didn't end up with any service as described on that page (as far as I can find). Still, activation and limited installs are a bad thing. :disaprovei don't see where its an issue. seriously, if you uninstall before you reinstall, then what's the problem?? unless you're looking to make copies of the game and distribute them over the internet, i just don't see where this is some big issue.That does sound somewhat familiar, though in this case that's not a bad thing. System Shock 2 is fun to play. Hopefully you can save whenever you want in Bioshock, those minigame hacking puzzles can get a bit annoying otherwise I'd imagine.you can save whenever you want. i just wish it was bound to a key instead of you having to ESC out into a menu before you save.I suppose you can't be a jack of all trades in the game, then? You have to choose a few things to specialize in, if you've got a limited number of such upgrades.indeed. you'll have to pick and choose what kind of upgrades you want to use and level out their advantages against each other. you'll also have to pick and choose when it comes to harvesting the Little Sisters vs rescuing them. if you harvest them, you'll have more points to spend on your plasmids even though you're compensated through gifts every 3rd sister you rescue. this means that you can choose to be a tank or a hybrid spellcaster (stealth is rather limited). and get used to hacking; you'll be doing it often.Seems like huge hulking brutes in armor is pretty much standard issue in shooter games nowadays (Farcry Fatboys, Halo Hunters etc). Hopefully they aren't that cliché in Bioshock. :)but unlike those big hulking guys, the Big Daddies are fast and furious. they're very difficult to kill, especially early on when you're lacking effective weaponry. there's two types to worry about: the Rosie's which carry a huge rivet gun and throw proximity grenades at you, and then you have the Bouncers that are armed only with a massive drill, brute strength, and massive speed.Time to find out. :emodanc: Hopefully there aren't too many game-stopping bugs, I didn't manage to find any patch released yet (perhaps unsurprising since the game has only been released a few days. :))well, having beaten the game already, i haven't run into any bugs, minor or major, that i can tell of. anyways, have fun. :)

Commander Obi-Wan

08-27-2007, 07:20 PM

I have finally played some of the game. I am enjoying the game A LOT thus far. Very well done. Seems quite realistic, in the sense of mechanics, visual, audio. Very well done in that area.

All the neat little details, hacking, vending machines, and the atmosphere makes the game ever so fun.

Currently, I just defeat Dr. Steinman. Though, before hand, I foolishly get rid of the Electro Bolt for Telekenesis. :doh: And I have yet to face a Big Daddy.

stoffe

08-27-2007, 07:25 PM

i don't see where its an issue. seriously, if you uninstall before you reinstall, then what's the problem?? unless you're looking to make copies of the game and distribute them over the internet, i just don't see where this is some big issue.

The issue with limited installations is in cases where you don't have the opportunity to uninstall the game first. Hard drive crashes do happen, unfortunately, or if your Windows install gets messed up so the uninstall won't work.

The issue with online activation is that you can only play that game as long as the company is in business and deign to provide servers for the online activation. Great games are worth replaying on occasion years after they were first released. If games like PS:Torment, System Shock 2, Deus Ex or VtM:Bloodlines had used such online activation DRM those classic games would not be possible to play today since the companies that made them no longer exist. If I buy a game I want to be able to play it when I want, not only when a company is around to grant me the privilege to play what I've already paid for.

DRM does not only cause problems for software pirates. In many cases they're the ones who suffer the least from it in the long run since warez-versions tend to have the copy protection removed anyway.

T7nowhere

08-27-2007, 07:54 PM

i don't see where its an issue. seriously, if you uninstall before you reinstall, then what's the problem?? unless you're looking to make copies of the game and distribute them over the internet, i just don't see where this is some big issue.

The issue with limited installations is in cases where you don't have the opportunity to uninstall the game first.

The issue with online activation is that you can only play that game as long as the company is in business and deign to provide servers for the online activation. Great games are worth replaying on occasion years after they were first released. If games like PS:Torment, System Shock 2, Deus Ex or VtM:Bloodlines had used such online activation DRM those classic games would not be possible to play today since the companies that made them no longer exist.

I agree with stoffe and that is exactly the problem that I have with the activation. I tend to format my pc atleast once every 6 months, now I have to remember to uninstall BIOSHOCK, where normally I would just format the partition and reinstall.

The second is again the same as stoffe, I play many of my old games every now and again. I mean I just installed SS2 again (with a couple mods) a couple weeks ago. That game is 8 years old, and its still fun to play, will I even be able to install Bioshock 8 years from now? Also what if I end up going through different pc configurations. Say for instance my mobo dies on me, I would have to buy a replacement and I may not be able to get the exact same mobo so then in this case I would have to reformat my PC with out being able to uninstall the game.

I could go on an on, but I won't. this type of copy protection is only going to promote piracy. I have to say its always pissed me off when I as a paying customer am bound to stricter restrictions than the people that pirate the game. BioShock doesn't even have multiplayer, what's the point of the security for a single player game.

More Game devs should take a look at what Stardock has done with Galactic Civillization. If you want to install updates and bonus upgrades you then need to use your cdkey. otherwise there is no need to enter in the key.

Boba Rhett

08-27-2007, 08:37 PM

Well, it's a stunningly beautiful game but it hard crashes everytime I try to load the medical facility. :(

I hear this is happening to a lot of other people too. Many are saying that turning off High Detail Shaders fixes most crashing problems.

UPDATE: That trick seems to have worked for me! :)

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-27-2007, 10:40 PM

Currently, I just defeat Dr. Steinman. Though, before hand, I foolishly get rid of the Electro Bolt for Telekenesis. :doh: And I have yet to face a Big Daddy.
You can switch them back later on.

Boba Rhett

08-27-2007, 11:03 PM

Oh God, any advice on taking down a Big Daddy? He threw me around like a rag doll and then had his way with me. :(

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-27-2007, 11:11 PM

What weapons/plasmids do you have?

Boba Rhett

08-27-2007, 11:24 PM

Shock and Tele. Should we make a separate Bioshock help thread?

Commander Obi-Wan

08-27-2007, 11:37 PM

You can switch them back later on.

I know. I just prefer having that specific power when hacking security cameras and turrets. Though, incinerate is helpful against Big Daddies.

@ Boba Rhett

Depends how you want to defeat them. If you don't mind dying than transfer back to those "checkpoints" (name escapes me atm), just do as much damage as you can.

The shotgun and Incinerate are helpful. As well as using Telekinesis to throw objects at the Big Daddies. The anti-armour ammo is efficient as well.

stingerhs

08-28-2007, 01:05 AM

Rhett:with the first Big Daddy i faced, i used a combo of zapping him with an electro, got a little bit of distance from him and opened up with my Thompson. then, he'd charge me, and i'd sidestep him and repeat the process till he died. you'd be surprised at how effective that method is if you can time most everything right. you'll probably take a couple of hits, but i still managed to get through that fight almost unscathed.hope that helps, man. ;)

Rogue15 Fan

08-28-2007, 03:53 AM

This game is so awsome, i own it on 360 and have passed it, great game!

Boba Rhett

08-28-2007, 04:15 AM

Thanks for the advice, guys!

Anyone know how to take screen shots?

Rogue15 Fan

08-28-2007, 05:36 AM

Lol i know you press the print screen key then paste in Paint for screenshots but idk if it works same way on a game.

swphreak

08-29-2007, 02:39 PM

Some things I use for facing Big Daddies:
Armor piercing machine gun rounds, explosive shotgun shells, the freeze power, incinerate, grenade launcher with proximity, frag, and heatseekers, and if I run out of ammo, armor piercing pistol rounds.

When I fought my first big daddy, I hacked those two turrets in the Med Facility and they provided some distraction (and a little help). Electrobolt and incinerate gave me a couple of seconds too.

I still got smacked around like a little crack whore, but that's what those 9 health packs are for.

Anyone else beat the game yet? How about those "ohsnap" parts?

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-29-2007, 10:54 PM

Anyone else beat the game yet? How about those "ohsnap" parts?
The whole "would you kindly" thing definitely caught me off guard. I only wish the plot pulled you in earlier, it felt like most of the game was just point and shoot stuff.

I'll have to try for the "good guy" ending this time though, for some reason I got Tennenbaum's whole "you suck" speech at the end even though I harvested maybe one Little Sister throughout the entire game.

---

Does this game take forever to load for anyone else? Every time it loads a new area it seems to take forever compared to other games.

Corinthian

08-29-2007, 11:20 PM

Of course you did. All it has to be is one Little Sister and you get the evil ending. You have to spare all of them. I mean, we're talking about killing a little girl. You horrible person.

stingerhs

08-29-2007, 11:33 PM

Does this game take forever to load for anyone else? Every time it loads a new area it seems to take forever compared to other games.well, you have to admit that at least the maps are very large in size. predictably: large maps = long load times. my system isn't too bad (about 15-30 seconds), but i'm also running two WD Raptors in RAID 0. ;)

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-29-2007, 11:39 PM

Of course you did. All it has to be is one Little Sister and you get the evil ending. You have to spare all of them. I mean, we're talking about killing a little girl. You horrible person.
Yeah I'm gonna have to do something about that then, I mean what's the point of playing if I can't kill small children with glowing eyes and murder on the mind?

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2605236

Boba Rhett

08-30-2007, 01:33 PM

The water in this game is so amazing. I finally broke down and just used printscreen to get this:

http://www.olivetinstitute.org/stuff/bioshock.jpg

Commander Obi-Wan

08-30-2007, 07:55 PM

Damn, this game is long. I've been playing it for maybe 20 hours, maybe 24... something along those lines. Trying to complete every achievement (360 edition), though, the only one I don't think I'll get is beating it in the hard difficulty. I don't know if I'll have the time too.

But, this game is AMAZING.

SilentScope001

08-30-2007, 09:00 PM

Ugh. You mean they spend so much time to make "realistic water", which would be better off making the story better? *vomits*

Of course you did. All it has to be is one Little Sister and you get the evil ending. You have to spare all of them. I mean, we're talking about killing a little girl. You horrible person.

Actually, one person has killed half the Little Sisters and save the other half, and gotten the Good Ending.

But the Little Sister is a splicer. A genetically modified person. A "monster", and therefore, not really human, no?

stoffe

08-30-2007, 09:43 PM

Ugh. You mean they spend so much time to make "realistic water", which would be better off making the story better? *vomits*

Nothing strange about that, the game is a First Person Shooter, impressive visuals are often half the point of games in that genre, presenting a detailed world to explore. The story is usually just an excuse for guiding the player through the game and provide backdrop for the action and visuals. The story in Bioshock is better than what most games in the genre have, in my opinion.

But the Little Sister is a splicer. A genetically modified person. A "monster", and therefore, not really human, no?

But so is the protagonist, to technically the Little Sisters are closer kin to the protagonist than an unmodified human child would be. :)

Boba Rhett

08-30-2007, 09:51 PM

I've heard nothing but good about the story. From what I've gotten through myself it seems rather well laid out and deeply enjoyable. Are you listening to all the audiotapes? :confused:

SilentScope001

08-30-2007, 10:01 PM

The story in Bioshock is better than what most games in the genre have, in my opinion.

I've heard nothing but good about the story. From what I've gotten through myself it seems rather well laid out and deeply enjoyable. Are you listening to all the audiotapes?

I know the storyline is awesome. It's pretty good, with a ton of twists. I have problems with the endings, but the rest of the storyline is quite well.

No, I just have problems with good graphics and too much coding being done for it. :) The more time devoted to storyline and the less time devoted to graphics, the better. An example would be XIII...bad graphics, great storyline. It's just my view though, highly inaccurate since the story team and the graphics team are different, but, well, good graphics just act a symbol for all I hate about commercialized gaming.

stingerhs

08-30-2007, 10:38 PM

^^^^
what's wrong with good looking graphics??

seriously, there's no much more that really draws me more into a game than great graphics and audio design (in the FPS world, at least). seriously, games like "Chronicles of Riddick", Oblivion, and Bioshock do an excellent job of using graphics and audio to pull you into the game so much that you can almost see yourself as that character in your mind. there are other games out there that are just mindless action (which i also enjoy), but the genre as a whole benefits from excellent graphics and audio.

if you're going for innovation and unique gameplay over graphics, that's fine and dandy, but ugly graphics isn't going to help out when it comes to immersion. there has to be a balance, and i'm still convinced that Bioshock, as impressive as it is, could've looked even better especially with the DX10 effects (or lack thereof), but the devs instead decided to focus on giving us excellent gameplay, story, and several unique mechanics in addition. lets face it: the graphics in Bioshock isn't the only selling point of the game.

anyways, enough of my ranting. this isn't the best place to debate over this stuff anyways. ;)

Boba Rhett

08-31-2007, 12:24 AM

Ok, I've finally found out how to take screenshots!

Open up Bioshock.ini and find where the keys are defined. Pic an empty one and set it to the word, "Shot".

Example:

F10 = Shot

Tadaaaaaaaaa! Now everytime you push F10 a bitmap will be dumped into the same folder that contains the Bioshock.ini file.

Here's a list of the the commands found thus far:

God - Invincibility

Fly - Allows you to fly around

Walk - Disables fly mode

Ghost - Allows you to move through solid objects

Killpawns - Kills all enemy on the level

Slomo - Slows everything down

Shot - Takes a screenshot in BMP format and places it in the same folder as BioShock.ini

HideHUD - Disables the on-screen HUD elements

ShowHUD - Enables the on-screen HUD elements

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-31-2007, 03:47 AM

The link in my previous post had two other console commands that might be able to be bound to a key too.

stoffe

08-31-2007, 06:20 AM

Is this a known bug or is it just my computer that's acting weird? Every time I try to hack the first turret you come across in the Medical area the game freezes right when I click the "Start" button on the Hacking screen.

I've tried loading older saves from before entering the Medical area, and restarting the computer to no avail. Still crashes at exactly the same time. :(

Boba Rhett

08-31-2007, 07:04 AM

Have you tried turning off High Detail Shaders? It appears to be an issue for a lot of people. Disabling EAX stopped random crashes for some as well. Turning off the High Detail Shaders completely solved my random crashing problems.

I just made a 1680x1050 Bioshock wallpaper because I couldn't find a big enough one.

http://www.olivetinstitute.org/stuff/biowallsmall2.jpg

If anyone cares for it and would like an epically huge version, give me a haller.

Pavlos

08-31-2007, 07:40 AM

Damn, this game is long. I've been playing it for maybe 20 hours, maybe 24... something along those lines. Trying to complete every achievement (360 edition), though, the only one I don't think I'll get is beating it in the hard difficulty. I don't know if I'll have the time too.

But, this game is AMAZING.

I discovered this by accident while abusing the camera but if you're up to Fort Frolic and are working on the main quest there:

Take a photo of Cohen's corpse and you get the best achievement ever conceived: Irony. I'm being serious... there is an achievement called "Irony". Such a thing makes the game amazing of its own accord :p

Tragically, there is no such recognition on the PC version (that I know of). I finally completed the game: it's fun and well done but I can't help but feel that the good ending, at least, was something of an anticlimax. Oh well...

Commander Obi-Wan

08-31-2007, 12:39 PM

Finally, completed it. Wasn't as I hoped it turned out. But, a fantastic game nonetheless.

Take a photo of Cohen's corpse and you get the best achievement ever conceived: Irony. I'm being serious... there is an achievement called "Irony". Such a thing makes the game amazing of its own accord :p

Yes, I know. Pretty cool, I love how they created this game. Though, I killed him the minute I saw him. So, I wasn't able to get into his room in Olympus Heights or wherever he lived.

I didn't harvest one little sister through the whole game. But, I am going to play it again on hard so I can harvest all of them and complete any other achievements I missed.

How much ADAM do you get for harvesting them?

Det. Bart Lasiter

08-31-2007, 02:54 PM

How much ADAM do you get for harvesting them?
160 for harvesting and 80 for rescuing.

T7nowhere

08-31-2007, 09:42 PM

After you rescue a couple little sisters you do get a bonus of 200 ADAM, plus other goodies.

stoffe

08-31-2007, 09:54 PM

Have you tried turning off High Detail Shaders? It appears to be an issue for a lot of people. Disabling EAX stopped random crashes for some as well. Turning off the High Detail Shaders completely solved my random crashing problems.

Thanks, though it seems like one of the game data files had gotten messed up somehow. After reinstalling the crash on the hacking screen seems to have gone away. :)

By the way, do anyone know how to prevent the game from nuking all your settings every time it crashes or doesn't shut down properly? It's pretty annoying having to re-configure everything every so often.

Boba Rhett

08-31-2007, 10:21 PM

Not yet. It even does it to me when I don't crash out of the game. :( Hopefully they'll release what surely will prove to be an EPIC patch for it soon.

Commander Obi-Wan

09-01-2007, 12:13 AM

After you rescue a couple little sisters you do get a bonus of 200 ADAM, plus other goodies.

Yes. First time around, I didn't resurrect one Little Sister.

This second I have, much more effective. More plasmids earlier and all that. And playing it the "hard" difficulty isn't much harder than Normal.

stoffe

09-01-2007, 11:14 AM

Some things I use for facing Big Daddies:

When I fought my first big daddy, I hacked those two turrets in the Med Facility and they provided some distraction (and a little help). Electrobolt and incinerate gave me a couple of seconds too.

Is there any way to prevent those grenade tossing mutants from seemingly respawning indefinitely in that area of the Medical Pavilion? They blew up both my hacked turrets there before I even got to Steinman's surgery while I explored the side areas, so they are of no help to me now that I've run into the first Big Daddy I have to fight on my way back to the emergency exit with the key.

stingerhs

09-01-2007, 11:22 AM

^^^^
you could always do as i do and ignore the turrets as best as i can and then hack them whenever you have to fight the big daddy. they are helpful in that situation, although they won't last long against said big daddy. ;)

Gargoyle King

09-01-2007, 05:57 PM

Do any of you kill the creepy little demonic children after killing their guardians, what are the advantages of doing so/or not doing so? (I haven't played it yet, hoping to soon as soon as i get a Dell XPS).

SilentScope001

09-01-2007, 07:26 PM

Do any of you kill the creepy little demonic children after killing their guardians, what are the advantages of doing so/or not doing so? (I haven't played it yet, hoping to soon as soon as i get a Dell XPS).

Well, the creepy little demonic childern ARE the "Little Sisters". The Guardians are the "Big Daddies".

Once you understand that, you could see that was the only thing we were talking about, the killing or the saving of the demonic kids! :)

I finally completed the game: it's fun and well done but I can't help but feel that the good ending, at least, was something of an anticlimax. Oh well...

Try the Evil Ending. You can find it being...well, much more interesting than the Good Ending, IMHO.

Gargoyle King

09-01-2007, 07:54 PM

Well, the creepy little demonic childern ARE the "Little Sisters". The Guardians are the "Big Daddies".

Once you understand that, you could see that was the only thing we were talking about, the killing or the saving of the demonic kidsYeah i know i've seen trailers, gameplay vids etc. it's just i'm currently saving to upgrading my comp system so what i was asking was what do you get out of it if you kill the "Little Sisters", i heard you get some sort of energy from them of some sort?

T7nowhere

09-01-2007, 08:33 PM

By the way, do anyone know how to prevent the game from nuking all your settings every time it crashes or doesn't shut down properly? It's pretty annoying having to re-configure everything every so often.

Do you shutdown the game properly after you change the setting then reload it and play the game.

Btw is the game just crashing to desktop or rebooting your pc. I'm thankfull to say that the game hasn't crash a single time on me.

Commander Obi-Wan

09-02-2007, 01:17 AM

Yeah i know i've seen trailers, gameplay vids etc. it's just i'm currently saving to upgrading my comp system so what i was asking was what do you get out of it if you kill the "Little Sisters", i heard you get some sort of energy from them of some sort?

You get "ADAM", in which you can use to upgrade your character throughout the game. And like jmac said earlier, you get 160 for harvesting them and 80 for rescuing them.

stoffe

09-02-2007, 07:52 AM

Do you shutdown the game properly after you change the setting then reload it and play the game.

Btw is the game just crashing to desktop or rebooting your pc. I'm thankfull to say that the game hasn't crash a single time on me.

I've quit and restarted the game a number of times after adjusting the settings. But when the game crashes or is force-quitted it seems like it rolls back the INI files to their default state and I have to reconfigure all the graphics settings, game settings and key bindings again.

I guess it might be some intentional safety feature in case the settings cause the game to fail for some reason, but it's rather annoying to have to set everything over and over.

So far the game has just been freezing a few times. It gets stuck and nothing happens, with the last frame stuck on the screen even if I ALT-TAB out of the game. Fortunately the screen gets released and back to normal if I (blindly) log out and back in again so I won't have to force-reboot the computer.

Gargoyle King

09-02-2007, 08:05 AM

You get "ADAM", in which you can use to upgrade your character throughout the game. And like jmac said earlier, you get 160 for harvesting them and 80 for rescuing them.That's pretty cool, so are the upgrades for health, defense bonuses etc. or are they for weapons additions and items; or both?

stoffe

09-02-2007, 08:22 AM

That's pretty cool, so are the upgrades for health, defense bonuses etc. or are they for weapons additions and items; or both?

Read this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioshock#Gameplay) :)

Gargoyle King

09-02-2007, 08:33 AM

Read this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioshock#Gameplay) :)Thanks for the link Stoffe, the game is a lot more complex than i thought initially, paying homage to the likes of System Shock, Deus-EX and even legacy console RPGs. Add to the nice HD Art Deco Visuals i think this game has won me over. I should be getting my new Vista Dell XPS in about a month or two (hopefully :) ) and i won't have to worry about compatibility as it utilizes Direct-X 10 which to the best of my knowledge is exclusive to Vista, so in turn should work on Vista (i'll make sure i meet the hardware requirements obviously though).

stoffe

09-05-2007, 07:55 AM

In Neptune's Bounty...

... is there any way to get your ammo back after you have to give up all your weapons in order to enter Fontaine's Fisheries? I found my weapons again in the mailbox on the stairs down to the basement, but all the ammo I had been conserving was gone. :(

Commander Obi-Wan

09-05-2007, 05:18 PM

Yeah, after you defeat Peach Wilkins in Fontaine Fisheries and receive your weapons you had previously, you don't get all the ammo you originally had. Yeah, it sucks. I had most of my weapons at maximum and then I lost almost all the ammo as well. :(

stoffe

09-12-2007, 11:52 AM

Is the Human Inferno gene tonic not available in the PC version of the game? I checked one of those Plasmid FAQs posted on gamefaqs and it was listed as being available in the Gatherer's Gardens in Arcadia and Fort Frolic, but I haven't been able to find it in either place when playing. :confused:

If they've intentionally removed it just to punch their PC customers in the face a bit more I hope it can still be spawned using cheats. At least it's listed in the game's data files and not obviously blocked out there.

My specs are far from special. 3200+, 1gig, and a 7800 superclock. I'm fairly close to full settings @ 1024x768. I had to turn off Detailed Shaders because of a crashing issue but everything else is max. The framerate dips low enough to notice stuttering sometimes but it's fairly smooth most of the time.

stoffe

09-12-2007, 12:46 PM

Anyone able to run this game on full graphics settings? Also It lags alot on my PC.

Works fairly OK on my computer with all settings on max in 1280x1024 resolution (no DX10 though),I get on average around 28-42 FPS so far. The only time I've seen any noticeable slowdown is when a Big Daddy lumbers by close to me causing the screen to shake and the game to shave off 20 FPS from my counter until he's a bit further away or has stopped walking.

(AMD Athlon 64 3500+ CPU, Radeon X1900XT graphics card.)

Commander Obi-Wan

09-12-2007, 01:12 PM

*cough* get an Xbox 360 *cough*

:p

stoffe

09-12-2007, 01:16 PM

*cough* get an Xbox 360 *cough*

:p

Can you get the "Organic Pockets" tonic in the X-box 360 version? A pack rat like me couldn't survive without it. :p

Just playin', but I didn't really need 2X my ammo, Eve, and med kits. I usually was at the 'full' 9 of the Eve hypos and Med kits. Though, I probably could have used it against the Big Daddies.

Screw mods. :xp: ( I take it that, that is a mod?)

stoffe

09-12-2007, 01:29 PM

Just playin', but I didn't really need 2X my ammo, Eve, and med kits. I usually was at the 'full' 9 of the Eve hypos and Med kits.

That's why you need it if you're a pack rat. It pains you to have to leave something you've found behind, whether you actually need it or not. :) With that tonic you at least delay the agony until 18 EVE hypos instead of 9.

Screw mods. :xp: ( I take it that, that is a mod?)

It's part of the standard game, but I don't think it can be found anywhere since it's not listed in any of the FAQs I've seen, so it was probably cut from the release game for whatever reason. You can use a console command to get it though, and it still works. :) There are a handful of other things like that.

Commander Obi-Wan

09-12-2007, 01:35 PM

I see, will I don't really need now that I have completed it. But, I guess I didn't look into it much. A really the only time I probably good have used it the whole is against the final boss of the game. In which, I am sure all those hypos and med kits will do you plenty fighting the final boss.

Boba Rhett

09-18-2007, 06:10 PM

Heads up, lads! GoGamer has Bioshock on sale fort he next few days for only $34.90! + ~$2.79 S/H!

Hey, I was thinking of getting Bioshock. But first I'd like to know how it runs, did you guys have any lag?

Btw. Anyone have a system similar to mine? So that I can know how would run on mine?

My specs

Intel Pentium 4 3,2 GHZ
Nvidia GeForce 7800GS 256MB
2 GB's of RAM

- Ghost Down

stoffe

09-25-2007, 11:10 AM

Hey, I was thinking of getting Bioshock. But first I'd like to know how it runs, did you guys have any lag?

I have usually pretty decent performance in Bioshock with no visible lag or slowdowns. I have on average 32-36 FPS in most areas at 1280x1024 resolution with all graphics options on max (except DX10). The only performance problem I've had so far is some weird bug when a Big Daddy walks past close to me, which causes my FPS to drop to single digits. (Thankfully that doesn't happen when fighting Big Daddies though, just when they walk around near me.)

2K announced yesterday that all activation and install restrictions have been removed from BioShock PC, active immediately.

The news comes by way of 2K's community manager, (who seems to like her job so much that she's changed her first name to "2K" and has done away with the need for a surname) 2K Elizabeth:

Good news! As promised, all activation restrictions, including install limits, have been removed from BioShock PC as of today. You don’t have to patch or install anything for this to go into effect for your copy of BioShock – it’s already done!

It seems that 2K is still in discussion with Irrational Game's (otherwise known as 2K Boston) Creative Director and creator of BioShock, Ken Levine, over the state of his contract.

According to the New York Post the new contract -- presumably designed to ensure that Levine remains with 2K -- would give Levine more creative control over titles along with the power to create new franchises. According to sources, Levine might also earn 'points' for each of his titles and under a system which makes no sense to me whatsoever (dumb English Literature student here) these would grant him a percentage of the profits made from the sale of his titles.

Even a measly 1% of BioShock's profits would personally suit me fine. What did that thing sell? 2 million units? At £40 each? They must really want him...

Ctrl Alt Del

07-08-2008, 07:21 PM

^ With all reason. The team must be taletented, but the head designer has... let's say, a small role on it.

Pavlos

07-15-2008, 02:22 PM

Source (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36309.html)

2K have just shown off the PS3 version of their steam-punk, objectivist, swingin' FPS-RPG, BioShock at E3. You can catch a video demo on Gametrailers (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36309.html) if you're interested.

There's nothing much new but it gives us a few glimpses of the bonus areas confirmed to be present in the PS3 edition. Both quite long and quite repetitive, it's interesting that they've chosen to ditch Beyond the Sea, which they seemed so fond of (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYorK3E4aM) in the run up to the 360 and PC releases, in favour of generic FPS action music. Shame, really, the game loses some of its ironic twang when you take that away.

sekan

07-15-2008, 03:19 PM

Just wanted to be sure...

... Do I need to save every little sister in the game to get good ending or can I just save one little sister and don't rescue/harvest the other little sisters and still get good ending?